From the 1st place to the second round

Russia began its U18 European Championship campaign in successful style with a 68-55 win against Group B opponent Bosnia and Herzegovina in Ventspils on Thursday night.

Aggressively attacking the ring at every opportunity, Russia turned a highly competitive game into a one-way contest in the third quarter by using a 29-8 run to get away from their opponents and open up a lead they would not again surrender.

Bosnia and Herzegovina opened the game with an 11-0 run, but fell behind after relying too heavily on its starting five. A drought in which they missed 13 consecutive field goal attempts allowed Russia to find its rhythm and fly back into the game.

In the second game Russia overcame an 18-point deficit to stun the Czech Republic 71-69 in Group B of the U18 European Championship on Friday night.

Dynamic backcourt duo Alexander Martynov and Viacheslav Fedorchenko lifted Russia from an 18-point third quarter deficit to score a combined 15 points in the final term and deliver the Russians a second-straight come-from-behind victory.

Fedorchenko brought Russia back from the brink with back-to-back threes in the final term before securing an offensive rebound and converting the two subsequent free throws to finally put his side up with under two minutes remaining.

In the third game Russia lost to Greece – 70:74. Russia attempted to return from what would have been a third straight comeback victory to tie the game with under a minute remaining after trailing by double-digits in the third term, but Diamantakos capped off his perfect night with a hook from the right block before a steal by Dimitrios Stamatis on the ensuing inbound pass sealed the victory.

Now in the second round Russia which takes 1st place in the group E, will play with France, Lithuania and Serbia.

Three players of Spartak – Ilya Popov, Ivan Viktorov, Aleksandr Antonikovskii – are in the Russian team.

Moments of the game Russia - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Moments of the game Czech Republic - Russia

Moments of the game Greece - Russia